Whoa. Rarely...RARELY!...is there a breakfast place that I give 5 stars. It has to be as good as Matt's to get five stars from me. That is not an easy thing to do but the AZ Bread Co has been successful. This place is a jewel and should be in every major city. To start, the setup is perfect. A long counter to order your food at with pastries visible from the entrance and a large menu. They take your order and you go sit and wait for it. No stupid cluster of people in the entrance like at Scramble, so waiting for tables like at Matt's - you order and you wait for your food. If the place is packed, you can sit outside. No room outside, get it to go. You can eat the stuff in your damn car if you like. They have a soda fountain with Coke and if that doesn't deserve an extra star, I don't know what does.
But all of that stuff becomes inconsequential when you start talking food. The pecan french toast is one of the best breakfasts I've ever had. Their chalah bread is killer and makes the perfect french toast. The pecan topping is so rich but oh so good. I've also had the strawberry pancakes. They are not covered in a strawberry sauce like most places do it. Just pancakes, fresh cut strawberries, and some fresh whipped cream. Yum. The pancakes are perfect as well.
There isn't anything I can find to complain about this place other than - it is far away. Maybe one day they will open one downtown. Until then, I don't mind driving 15 minutes to get there.